2018 will prove yet again that mobile is your customer’s go-to channel and way of the future. With the exponential growth of mobile-first consumers across the globe, the focus this year will be even more niche-oriented than 2017 as brands are trying to connect with audiences in the most personalised ways possible. Here are 5 emerging trends to take note of as a digital marketer to start developing your mobile marketing strategy this year:

1. Proximity-Based Mobile Ads For Higher Conversions

It’s a fact that users have accessed the internet more from their mobile devices than from their desktops in 2017, spending on average 5.6 hours online a day. Thanks to Search Engine Land, we also know that so-called “near-me” searches have increased by 50 percent compared to mobile searches. This opens up the opportunity for brands to focus even more on mobile advertising this year. For instance, by sending a special coupon to shoppers notifying them of your store’s sale of the day, or recommending a product based on your customer’s purchase history. In 2018, it’s all about intent-driven micro-moments. In other words, targeting the right shoppers in the right context with the right message. As many consumers allow themselves to be tracked by the location of their phones, reaching your target audience in real-time has become easier and more effective. From banner ads, retargeting ads to display ads within app content or on mobile websites – the variety of mobile-friendly ad formats to choose from is endless.

2. Mobile Storytelling To Improve Customer Experiences

2018 is the year of personalised content. Content that creates unique user experiences through mobile storytelling. Who doesn’t appreciate a shop assistant who greets you with a welcome gift on your first visit or a hotel receptionist who recognises you from your last stay? Marketers are concentrating all their efforts on recreating the same kind of experiences digitally this year. From your go-to coffee shop directly to your mobile screen. It’s no longer one-to-many but one-to-one customer experiences that count. Thank a frequent customer for returning to your store, welcome them with a beautifully branded landing page, surprise your female customers on Women’s Day or help new customers find their way through your product offering when they’re in-store. This year, expect deeper audience segmentation and tailored mobile content that hyper targets interests and habits, thanks to the rise of behavioral analytics tools. Ads alone won’t work for your campaign in 2018 – your customers want to connect with you in real-time, learn more about the brand, be entertained, but most importantly, feel special to you at all times.

3. Smart Captive Portals to Gather Valuable Customer Data

In 2018, offering a captive portal should play a major role in your overall mobile strategy. Not only for network security reasons but for many other lesser-known benefits as well. You might have logged into a captive portal in a hotel, hospital, school or restaurant or at some point or another. The main benefit of Captive Portals to marketers is data collection as it allows you to gather your customers’ contact details and track their browsing actions and patterns while being connected to your Wi-Fi network. This type of authentication provides brands with loads of customer data beyond the standard, adding more context to your database and creating a better understanding of your target audience.

4. Mobile Surveys Are Key To Increase Loyalty

In 2018, smart brands will harness the power of surveys on the go! Mobile reviews and surveys will now feature as part of most digital marketing strategies as they are a powerful tool to measure consumer satisfaction instantly. Consumers appreciate that you are listening to them and actioning their responses, which can help boost their loyalty to your brand. Evolving smartphone technology has accounted for increased participation rates and current mobile survey tools are offering easy data collection capabilities and analytics that sync with most CRMs. It’s time to increase loyalty through mobile. Businesses that offer mobile surveys to their customers may increase engagement and improve brand advocacy in the long run. This year, you’ll see more and more brands reinventing their loyalty programs from top to bottom with a view towards deeply integrating mobile into it.

5. Wi-Fi Hotspot Marketing to Skyrocket in 2018

Consumers will continue to expect the expansion of secure, high-speed in-store Wi-Fi, allowing them to check product information, share with their friends on social or review your business as they are at the location. This represents a special opportunity for marketers to offer a richer in-store experience, creating a two-way conversation between visitors and the brand. Wi-Fi Marketing Softwares such as Wi-Firehave proven to be an effective mobile marketing strategy to boost customer engagement and convert Wi-Fi users into regular clients. This type of powerful ROI solution can easily be installed on top off any existing Wi-Fi Network and will help marketers learn more about their customer behavior through data collection during their Wi-Fi experience. In 2018, forward-thinking brands will leverage highly effective promotions through Wi-Fi Campaigns (mobile ads, surveys, personalised messages, email marketing and more) for better mobile marketing success.